This invention relates to a method for printing and finishing documents, and to a system for finishing printed documents.
Such a method and such a system are known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,283,752. This patent specification discloses a method and a system in which the printing of signs that represent finishing instructions, or refer to them, on the documents is rendered entirely superfluous in that the finishing instructions are stored in a memory of a control system and are executed when the document to which they relate has--under the control of the control system--reached the position where the finishing instructions are to be executed. However, this imposes relatively stringent requirements on the reliability of the transport of the documents after printing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,505 discloses a method and an apparatus in which finishing instructions associated with individual documents are stored in relation to identification codes. On the documents in question, identification signs are printed which represent the corresponding identification codes. During the finishing of documents in the finishing system (in this case, an inserter system), the signs are read from the documents and the documents are finished in accordance with the finishing instructions stored in relation to the identification codes as read.
An advantage of finishing the documents in accordance with signs printed thereon that represent finishing instructions or, as according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,505, refer to them, is that a robust process is obtained that is not easily disturbed if irregularities occur between the printing and the finishing of the documents. It is objectionable, however, that signs are printed on the documents that are not of interest to the human reader or observer of the document and disturb the appearance of the document. In particular, this imposes limitations on the lay-out of the document, because the area where the signs are to be provided must be kept free from other prints.